Just add water, makes its own sauce

The Nativity according to our 4 year old boys, word for word

2009-12-16T22:19:00.002-05:00

Veronique, my wife, was in the process of capturing this for posterity when I arrived home tonight, it's Lowan and Kaelens' current understanding of the "true meaning of Christmas" that they apparently heard about in school today.
It's special so I'm copying it here too:

Mommy, you know, when we celebrate Christmas, we don’t celebrate the birth of Santa Claus, or the reindeers' birthday. We celebrate the birthday of baby Jesus.
Baby Jesus was a very famous man when he growed up. He was born in a pile of hay. He was born in the ball of hay because there were too many other people sleeping in the regular beds. They walked to the farm where the ball of hay was. There was also donkey carrying a lady who was full of heaven. Heaven is the place where God lives. The donkey had a dream: he dreamed that he was carrying a castle and a sailboat and a rose, and a lady full of heaven. And there were angels standing all around the flower, the rose and the donkey. They knocked on the doors but no one was there and then they finally found a cave to go in and then the man whispered to the donkey ‘come come donkey’, and then they heard the crying inside and when they saw it, it was baby Jesus. All the animal watched baby Jesus being born. Baby Jesus, when he was a grown up, wrote a book that was called the Bible.

The Nativity according to Lowan and Kaelen Hansel. December 16 2009.

Health Care Reform - News from the front lines

2009-08-17T20:41:00.003-04:00

This is a message thread from facebook that I wanted to preserve for prosperity. The whole thing starts when I see a link on Bobby Pratt's profile (a kid I went to high school with) to a very old Ronald Reagan piece against "socialized medicine" (read Medicare) before he was involved in government. Probably paid to do it by the American Medical Association at the time. (he was an actor after all!)
Funny, that the same American Medical Association are in favor of health care reform now! Anyway, I boiled over on these folks. I'm not exactly proud of it, but I finally could not play nice any more:
-----------------
Regarding the Reagan speech:

Bobby Pratt: The first 15 seconds of this speech says it all and it's worth listening to.
Fri at 3:37pm

Jack Whitman Jr:
He did say it all. I hope people take time to listen to this one.
Fri at 4:25pm

Doug Hansel:
He was wrong and you are wrong. I lived in the UK for 8 years. The Nationial Health system there works great. I lived it. I know. I used it, and I was surrounded by others that used it. Sure, it wasn't perfect, but it was a damn site better than what we have now. You guys need a taste of unemployment like I had where I was paying $1200 ... Read Morefreaking bucks a month to cover my family with no income only a few months ago. Actually, I pray it doesn't happen to you, as no one should have to endure that.
Pay a attention and use your head. The insurance companies are the very evil that Reagan is warning against now in this video, and we can't let them continue. At least with a democratic process we "might" have some shot at controlling this crap.
Fri at 10:43pm

Cindy Doss:
Doug,
If the UK system was so good, then why is it so many people from the UK and other countrys that have socialized medicine come here to get there surgery's and other things done? Since you don't like how this county is goiing, please by all means, use our 1st amendment with pride and get the hell out with all the other demorcrats that are trying to ruin our freedom country.
Fri at 11:44pm

Barbara Buntele Karraker:
Doug, sorry to hear that you had to endure being unemployeed and afraid, but government is not the answer....most likely they were the problem....I work in health care and everyone who seeks treatment gets treatment regardless of ability to pay....People come from all over the world to seek treatment here....specially those who live where they have... Read More socialized medicine....Do you really want some bean counter telling you because you're sixty-five years young you can't have that procedure due to age?? Because that's what happens...Cancer diagnoses? Go home and be with your family..no treatment for you...Scary....Let's not let that happen here....
Sat at 12:20am

Dave Pippin:
Government is never the answer. They have one responsibility and that is to protect our freedoms. If we do not stand up now and fight this battle, we risk losing the war forever.
Sat at 8:51am

Doug Hansel:
Cindy, again, wrong. Recently, 750,000 Americans left the country to seek medical treatment abroad. See this paper and the fact that it is expected to trend into the millions! http://www.deloitte.com/dtt/article/0,1002,cid%253D230231,00.html
READ the PDF! VERY few come here and only because of rare specialty cases. You probably won't read it though since it doesn't "agree" with you.
You evoke the 1st amendment and freedom, and you deny me mine? You are a hypocrite! You want anyone that doesn't agree with you to leave! That's not how freedom and democracy works. What a way to set an example!
Yesterday at 8:17am

Doug Hansel:
Barbara, Afraid? Of ignorance, yes..
Sure "government is not the answer"; we don't need social security, medicare, police, fire, judges, legal systems. Let's get rid of all that crap shall we? And Dave just wants the military and that's it.
Where are you getting your info Barbara? From your company probably! If you want to talk about "Medical Tourism" which is what it's actually called, you should do more research before you start talking out your backside.
Here's the link again http://www.deloitte.com/dtt/article/0,1002,cid%253D230231,00.html
As I said in my previous post, I lived in the UK. I have seen the system work personally for 8 years. Guess what, there's lots of "old people" there! They don't actually kill them or deny them treatments! No REALLY!
See this article on how much the brits like their healthcare regardless of what you are being told. http://bit.ly/mAObj
If you folks would only pay attention and do your own thinking, you'd be amazed at what you can find out.
Yesterday at 8:28am

Cindy Doss:
Doug,
I did read your article and my question to you is, if you thought the UK was so great, then why did you leave? Have you seen how our Vets are treated? Do you really want a government that doesn't care about you to tell you what you can and can not do when it comes to your health and your families? Have you not paid attention to what our government is doing to this country. If I really thought that it would benefit this country, I would be all for it, but it won't, it will only make things worse. I do understand that our insurance companies have a lot to do with the problem, so it is them we need to fight, not let our government control who and when we visit our own chosen doctors. I do understand people want to go to other countries because they have services that our FDA will not approve here, that is not what our issue is, our issue is letting our government control our healthcare. Have you read this bill or any part of it, if not, read it, you will change your mind.
Yesterday at 11:48am

Doug Hansel:
Cindy, you can't back track on your statement above. We all know what you meant. "get the hell out with all the other democrats" is very plain. We know where you stand. Don't be ashamed, I'm sure some others here agree with you, just don't play like you didn't "mean to say that" Because that's BS.
I think you need to go back and examine why this country is so great. Why is that Cindy? How is our fragile democracy that you so cherise held together? It's the government baby.. by the people for the people. It's precisely our government, that we create and re-create through our democratic process that gives you your precious freedoms.
But, the government is EVIL isn't? Answer me this: Do you "Cindy" want to get rid of Medicare, Social Security, police, fire, judges, legal system, and education? Do you? Because these are exactly the "social" systems that you are yours are fighting against. You wouldn't know socialism if it hit you. Please try and LEARN before joining the debate
Yesterday at 2:16pm

Doug Hansel:
and YES, I have read parts of the bill, and I'm glad you asked, because so far you have not offered one fact from it to back up your outrageous claims. Please, if you can quote one line from the bill that backs up your opinion, I would love for you to share it. I'm sure we all would.
Yesterday at 2:20pm

Barbara Buntele Karraker:
Doug, sorry you seem so very angry...everyone has there right to their opinions...I work on a Bone Marrow Transpalnt unit....This is a very expensive treatment & we currently has several pt with only Medicare and Medicaide for insurance....I work with 2 RN's from the UK and 1 from Canada....All 3 say that they would never be treating some of the patients we do....mostly do to age....so be gald you were young & whatever treatment you recieved while living in the UK was not age based.....I read your article....some minor treatments and drugs maybe cheaper elsewhere...we have the best health care in the World right here....You say you've read some of the 1000 page bill?? I can't seem to find a copy...I see blogs and what people on both sides want you to know...but I can't seem to find the bill itself...if you have the wab site for that I would love to read it.....Insurance companies do need to be reigned in and some do crazy lawsuits that drive up the cost of everything medical.....
9 hours ago

Barbara Buntele Karraker:
Remember it's called a medical practice...not a medical perfect.....good Doctors, Nurses and Other Medical Professionals practice good medicine....they are not perfect...they do the best they can...

Doug Hansel:
Barbara,
If I'm angry, it's because people are lying. Don't you get mad when people lie and distort facts?
You are working in a very specialized area, and I'm sure the doctors you work with are the best at what they do, but we're talking about millions of people that do not have health insurance here. You need to widen your view of the situation beyond your practice. How many people come into your practice from overseas per year? You're talking about a handful, and the rest of us are talking about millions of people without basic care.
I also think you are getting confused about what the debate is about. No one is criticizing the quality of health care in this country. We are talking about the insurance industry and the way health care is administered. We are not critical of YOU. Did you think we were?
I'm very surprised that you can't find a copy of this bill, since it's kind of a easy thing to find. I hope your nursing skills are better than your google skills!
8 hours ago

Barbara Buntele Karraker:
Doug, I realize that some people seek treatment outside the USA because it's not an approved treatment here..... Socialized Medicine isn't going to change the FDA and their rules..... Waiting for the link to the bill..... Even though we are on opposite sides of this issue..... I hope things are going well for you and have found a good job.... It's Great to be an American....in a place where friends can disagree..... Have a fabulous day!!!!
8 hours ago

Doug Hansel:
The Bill is called H.R.3200 - America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009
http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-h3200/text
Not exactly light reading you will see.
Some things the government does pretty well. Would you like to have "private" police companies patrolling the street? Private Military? Private legal system protecting your freedoms?
8 hours ago

Doug Hansel:
I think we need to get behind the government and make it work for us. If it doesn't, we have no one but ourselves to blame. Saying the government isn't the answer as a blanket statement goes against the very fabric that makes this country great. Our government is precisely what makes it "great to be American" don't you agree? If not, what exactly is it?
8 hours ago

Doug Hansel:
I also have to disagree with your FDA statement. People leave the USA for treatment because they can't afford the equivalent treatment here, not because of some FDA approval issue. Did you not read the Deloitte and Touche research paper I posted above?
8 hours ago

Barbara Buntele Karraker:
Bobby, back to the original post....Thanks so much for posting it.... Ronald Reagan was a very smart man, a GREAT American and an AWESOME President...
Doug, You are a very angry negative person and I feel sorry for you... but It's nice to see people with passion...I respect your right to disagree with my views and your right to be wrong (in my ...opinion).....Why it is you can't show any repect for people with opposing views....I have tried not be disrepectful to you but I find you narrow minded and condescending.....I'm choosing not to respond to your negative nonsense anymore....Wishing you and your family nothing but the best of wishes for the future...I hope you find Peace & Happiness...In this the BEST Country on EARTH.....Pray we stay that way!!!!!
5 hours ago

Doug Hansel:
You obviously don't know me or you'd know I'm not a negative, angry person. I also don't suffer fools who spread disinformaton. I'm not angry at all, you just think I am because I've called you out for being WRONG (repeatedly with real links to facts). Why would you have me respect your opinion when it's based on falsehoods that you can't back up? I'm glad you won't respond, because I know the real reason; you have no logical basis for your argument to continue. So, you can blame it all on me and my attitude, but in truth, if your opinions could be backed up by one shred of fact, we might be able to have an actual debate.
Bye bye Barbara... don't worry, we have your best interests at heart... and that's the greatest irony of all.
3 hours ago

The Future of Sound and Speaker technology?

2009-02-09T09:47:00.002-05:00

The first time I heard about this technology, I knew it was a keeper. The amazing thing about this "sound technology" is it's ability to give us silence as much as sound! Imagine not having to hear things you don't want to. There is so much noise pollution in our world today, and directional technology such as this could really help eliminate that! The uses are endless as Woody desribes. Note: This was filmed in 2004, but since it's been recently posted again on TED, I thought I would link to it. Check it out!

Polar Express vs. Polarization

2008-11-24T13:18:00.002-05:00

Polar Express
I really enjoyed watching the movie Polar Express with my boys this weekend. At 3 years old, they're really grasping the Santa concept to which my better half and I are only too keen to exploit. Take for example the whole section where the "naughty" alert goes off on "Stephen" who has just put gum in his sister's hair.. worse, he actually denies doing it! The boys call him "naughty Stephen" and we are playing the whole naughty vs. nice concept to the max right now as it's nice to have some additional leverage for good behavior! Good quality leverage such as "you better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout I'm telling you why..." is hard to find for 3 year olds, trust me.

Polarization
Quite different, but similar to the spirit of the Polar Express where "seeing is believing, but sometimes the most real things in the world are the things we can't see." is the sense of polarization I feel in the USA since the 2008 election season. Now while I can't recognize or see a racist, bigot, or ultra right Christian mercenary necessarily by sight, I know now more than ever before that they are out there in large numbers. Some of them would wish harm on president elect Obama and those that support him. That is very polarizing to me... and I can safely say that those people are decidedly "naughty" and are deserving of NOTHING FOR CHRISTMAS!!

I only hope that Santa has been watching.

Wassup!?!

2008-11-03T15:20:00.001-05:00

The Boys are back..

How I arrived at who I will vote for on November 4th, 2008

2008-11-03T13:52:00.005-05:00

It’s two days until the election and there’s been too much written and blogged about it already, but I’ve started this multiple times in my head, so I guess I feel that I need to put this down before it’s all over. I rarely blog, but I figure that if you don’t blog about your politics in such a crucial election, then you don’t really deserve to have a blog! So, partially out of guilt, a sense of duty to blogging itself, and my general anxiety about the whole thing… I write!
I’m not seeking to change anyone’s opinion at this late stage as I figure most folks are “decided” no matter what. So, I offer this to my blog and a few readers (countable on one hand) because it feels important to me for some reason to get this “on the record”.

The office of president of the USA is arguably the highest and most challenging job most people can imagine. I think the Smithsonian exhibit says it well, "The American presidency has the brutal power to line a face with age, and to do so more swiftly than ever in an age of instant communication and nuclear arsenals. It is a position for which no training can be adequate, no preparation complete, and no counsel sufficient -- an office that outstrips anyone's capacity to negotiate the ever-widening circle of its responsibilities."

Yep, it’s a pretty big deal, yet, it was important for me to step back and really think about what the job of commander in chief entails: (thanks to the Wikipedia, it’s easy to look up the salient details)

• The President is at the head of the executive branch of the federal government; his or her role is to enforce national law as given in the Constitution and written by Congress.
• Article Two of the Constitution establishes the President as commander-in-chief of the armed forces and enumerates powers specifically granted to the President, including:
o The power to sign into law or veto bills passed by both houses of Congress.
o The power to create a cabinet of advisers and to grant pardons or reprieves.
o The President is empowered to make treaties and appoint federal officers, ambassadors, and federal judges, including Justices of the Supreme Court. (with the "advice and consent" of the Senate)
“…he shall commission all the Officers of the United States. Ie ambassadors, ministers, consuls and receive Ambassadors and other public ministers"

This is not nearly as impressive as you might imagine. You would think the president was king based on some of the discussions the candidates and pundits engage in. Yet, the responsibility is truly great when you consider the appointment of so many key positions in the government. So, the president’s decisions on appointing justices, secretaries, and other officers can and does significantly shape the policies and laws that America will follow.

So, in a nutshell, the president:
• Commands the military – protects the country
• Signs bills into law or vetoes bills
• Makes sure the laws are enforced
• Appoints jurists to the federal bench and supreme court
• Is our Chief diplomat in foreign affairs
• Is an overall manager of the economy (promoting the general welfare through his appointments and treaties with trade partners)

Looking at the candidates qualifications based on that job description:

1) Commands the military.

John McCain with his military service record is the obvious winner here when it comes to experience. Obviously I have great respect for the man in this regard. However, digging deeper, his actual experience is not “executive” and the navy squadron he commanded was not a wartime squadron. Then there’s his shabby performance at the Naval academy being ranked 894 of 899. That’s the bottom of the barrel, whatever the reason. The war in Iraq and McCain’s insistence that we must “win” and be “victorious” supports Bush’s bad decision and is based on a war (it’s not really a war by my definition) that is undefined and can potentially go on indefinitely. Still, McCain has Military experience, it’s just not necessarily the strategic type of experience that would be ideal for commander in chief. He is not cool under pressure, has a reputation for a bad temper, we’ve witnessed erratic behavior recently, and he picked probably the worst running mate in history. (Books will be written about this mistake) The ideal candidate for a military commander has sound judgment first and foremost, and McCain fails in this regard.
Barack Obama has no military experience, but he has demonstrated that he is quick on his feet, has a great affinity for world affairs and he did vote against the Iraq war, so he get’s big points for me as I was against it from day one also. Ask yourself, what has America received in return for the blood and money we have spent there? If you frame it in strict business terms, it would be seen as a very bad investment. So, Barack has good judgment (look at the people he’s surrounding himself with already) Colin Powell switched sides and no it’s not a BLACK thing.. he’s bigger than that! Obama is not afraid to speak out, has a very even temperament, is a skilled negotiator and diplomat possibly thanks to his legal training and just the man I would want making sound judgments on my behalf. It’s going to take real intelligence and negotiating skills to know how to combat modern threats from terrorists and rogue states in the future.

Let’s face it. I don’t trust McCain with big red button. I think Obama is a better negotiator when dealing with foreign powers (he certainly garners more respect in my own polling of contacts outside the USA), and has displayed much better judgment, foreign policy knowledge, and strength of character over the course of this campaign.

2) Appoints jurists to the federal bench and supreme court
It’s hard to guess exactly what the candidates will do when appointing justices to the Supreme Court, but as this is one of the most influential appointments they will likely make, it’s a good topic.
McCain: The thing that frightens me most about McCain is his artificial alignment with the religious right, remembering that they really didn’t like him initially, which is a good thing in my book. Unfortunately, he has continued to pander to them to the point where he’s taken firm stands on things like Roe v Wade which I think true republicans have NO BUSINESS even mentioning and of course there’s Palin. This is classic “reverse republicanism” which has pushed me away from the party I voted for much of my voting life. So, appointing justices that swing the balance far to the right is a real possibility for McCain as he seeks to “pay back” those that potentially put him in office.
Obama: Some folks I have spoken with assume Obama is far left, but I have a hard time finding evidence to support this. I think he is much closer to center than many can imagine. For those of you that think he is a “socialist” please do some research on your own to support that. I realize it’s a popular republican name to call him, but there’s really no truth in it. Please find some evidence before you call names. It really only undermines your credibility after all. Try this: http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2008/10/31/socialism/ if you need some “straight talk”.
I feel much more confident that Obama will make “non-pandering” decisions here and appoint the best people for the jobs. Balanced people…. People closer to the center representing the majority of folks in the USA’s interests.

3) Chief diplomat in foreign affairs
Obama wins this hands down.. no discussion. I’ve got a handy little tool on my iPhone that shows a world wide poll of people for Obama and McCain and it currently shows Obama favored by 70% of the world to win. Sure, you can say, “what do these people know about what’s best for America?” (Texas accent works best) Better question though is why do they have an opinion, and why did they make the choice that they have?
Obama has obviously impressed them as someone who has the “right stuff” to lead and that alone proves how effective he is as a diplomat. Obama is the only candidate that has a chance of redeeming America in the eyes of so many around the world. BTW, I have validated this sentiment countless times with my many contacts around the world. Obama has a level of respect inf the world far beyond that of John McCain.

So, when it comes to “major” qualifications for the job, it appears to me that Obama has it sewn up.

Let’s look at the case “against” Obama in a little more detail:

Party History (he’s a democrat!):
o Republicans love to quote historical facts re: democrats. tax and spend, foreign policy, etc.
 They’ll blame Carter for lost opportunities in the middle east, or Clinton for what have you, but that’s all they’re thinking about, history… and curiously not looking at the most recent history of all that is directly affecting us now! History is of course valuable, but we are always writing history and change is the only constant. We have new challenges that require new solutions.
 What are our leaders going to do about today’s problems? That will always be a more important consideration than the past.
 If you want to vote for your Party based on history, that’s fine, but please do the rest of us a favor and don’t join in the discussion if you aren’t actually listening to what the current candidates are saying. You’re not paying attention… and that’s your prerogative..

Socialism?
Obama is a socialist! He’s gonna take my money and give it to immigrants! Wealth spreader!
This almost doesn’t deserve discussion. What shocks me the most is that people are willing to
 What is government? By the people for the people.. government is supposed to be working for the people. By its very definition, the government is a social endeavor.
• Do you believe in social security? “social” security?
o What about Medicare?
• Do you really think the republicans want to abolish these social government ideas? Sure they need to be fixed, but be careful how you use the word “Socialist”
• People are paying taxes and that’s not probably going to be ending anytime soon. So, given that you are paying taxes… you are paying “the government” to take care of us “collectively” whether it’s the military…etc. So, where do you draw the line on socialism?
Health Care
On health care, that would seem to be an area that folks on the right would say government should stay out of, still, we are already paying the government for Social Security and Medicare, but it can be argued that we are getting a poor return on that investment, it’s maybe broken, but few republicans are arguing that we toss it!
• Most people agree that you can get a much better rate on services if you do it with a group plan. Is the USA not one big group?
• The biggest question to me is this:
o Do you really need to have our health care industry be based on profit and shareholders?
o Will good decisions be made for individuals when the number one priority of a company is shareholders and profit?

We need to Restructure the way medicine is funded in this country!

o We need to remove “business” from medicine. Sure people need to be able to make a fair living that are in the medical profession, but do we really need to pay the insurance companies the profits that they make? Do we need the infrastructure and administration? Do we need to fight for preventative care? Preexisting conditions? The right drug as opposed to the cheapest drug?
• Look it up… we have a terrible track record in regards to health care. My brother has no health insurance right now! If he were to get really sick.. THEN WHAT?
•
Evolution of a Party (what the republicans have become)
I was a faithful republican in years gone by… but what has the republican party become? It’s exactly the opposite of what it stood for; minimal government. Bush and his croanies (McCain) have grown the government bigger than it ever has been. They’ve done the exact opposite of what they claim to want to do. Just look at the deficit. China owns us and John McCain has been a willing participant.
o Pay attention to what these people say they’re going to do next. How is McCain going to cut taxes for everyone when we are drowning in debt? His pork barrel spending cuts don’t amount to more than 2%. How is he going to solve our problems? I’m not really hearing the answer.
o Then there is the type of person who says he doesn’t believe anything Obama says…he doesn’t trust him
 You can say this for either candidate, but at the end of the day, you can only make a decision about a person based on what they say. If you want to insist that you don’t believe anything either party says, that’s fine, but that means you are basically going to cast a vote (assuming you do vote) based on your historical party allegiance. That is your prerogative of course, but as I said above, there’s no use joining in on the current discussions if you aren’t listening!

Experience and education
 The campaign that’s been going on for the last “18?” months is a rite of passage on its own and if you can stand at the end of that process, calm cool and collected with more knowledge and understanding of the American people than you’ve ever had and be able to internalize it, that is the best “on the job training” you can possibly get. Obama has passed this test with flying colors.
• He’s been able to handle the barrage of questions and field them very successfully. His response to negative attacks, radicals on both sides really says a lot about how he will conduct himself in office.
 Look at the choice of running mates..
• A lot of folks really tread cautiously there, but the cavalier method by which McCain picked Palin for VP is frightening.. It demonstrates a PROFOUND LACK OF JUDGMENT.
• Attacking the Dems for Obama’s lack of experience was one thing, but the hypocrisy in choosing Sarah Palin is tragic.
o The REAL question here? Is Palin the BEST the GOP could come up with? How embarrassing for a heartbeat away from the president’s office!
 She’s never been out of the country before 2007..
• My 3 year old kids have had passports longer!
• Why in the world would someone want a typical soccer mom a heartbeat away from the presidency?
• Palin is the number one in pork barrel requests… previously chastised by McCain… and she’s running on the platform of being an expert? A Maverick reformer?
• The “Bridge To Nowhere” was already rejected before Palin got into office. She’s actually lying about this fact.
 McCain attacked Obama’s "eloquence" in a the last debate.
• Fortunately, for Obama, the power of language is a necessary requirement for the job.. it is how one persuades and inspires.
• Eloquence is synonymous with intellect, public speaking skills are key to the job!, Clear communication, being able to impart exactly your opinions and thoughts to others is to be admired!
o Better understood in your native tongue and better translated too!
• Yet again, the right wing has attacked Obama for being “too smart” branding him as elitist, and eloquent, as though these were bad things?!?

In the end, it’s a “no brainer” that Obama is the right choice. What scares me most about this process is the folks that feel equally astounded that I can make this statement. Let’s face it, we can’t both be right! There can only be one “best” choice for the country. We have all witnessed a profound polarization of the country that previously I could not have imagined. I’m talking “CIVIL WAR” type of polarization. That, above all else frightens me. This country needs to be united, it’s not just a cliché, it’s real, and Barack Obama has inspired me and millions of others to believe that it’s possible. He’s a transformational figure. If it can be done, he’s the one that can do it.

My Press release

2008-06-13T15:41:00.007-04:00

It's official, I have a press release about my new position at Russound.

Russound Appoints New Product Manager
To Oversee Development of Advanced Video Distribution Products

Doug Hansel Brings Years of Experience in A/V Product Development
To Russound’s Expanding Line of IP-Based Products

NEWMARKET, N.H., March 25, 2008— Russound, the #1 brand in multiroom audio, today announced the appointment of audio and video industry veteran Doug Hansel to oversee the development of Russound’s next generation of advanced video distribution products.

In his new role, Hansel is responsible for the development and marketing of products that integrate high-definition video into new and existing Russound models and systems. In particular, he is driving integration of IP-based architecture into the future of home networking, with emphasis on standards such as Universal Plug And Play (UPnP).

“As HDTV and digital audio continue to become part of everyday households, we are constantly looking for ways to simply and efficiently move content-rich media from room to room,” commented Andy Lewis, Russound’s Director of Product Development. “Doug is not only remarkably fluent in current developments in digital video and audio, but he has a keen sense of how these new trends can be adapted to simple solutions that benefit our installers and their customers.”

“I’ve pretty much lived and breathed digital technologies my entire professional life, but I have never seen a company as devoted to adapting these technologies to its customer base as Russound,” said Hansel. “It’s a pleasure to work with a team that is focused on offering the best of current digital technologies in products that are as easy to use as a light switch.”

Hansel comes to Russound from Avid Technology Inc., where, as Senior Product Designer, he led the development efforts of the company’s acclaimed Avid Mojo and Adrenaline hardware products, designed for video professionals and “prosumers” requiring a high level of control and flexibility over A/V productions.

In addition to his track record as a product marketing and design professional with prosumer and professional A/V products, Hansel brings a well-rounded international perspective to the Russound team, having held product management, sound engineering, and film editing positions throughout Europe and in South Africa.

About Russound
Since 1967, innovation, quality and reliability have been the pillars of the Russound® product tradition.
Located in Newmarket, N.H., Russound, the #1 brand in multiroom audio*, offers the products and expertise customers need to enjoy multiroom audio and video systems in the home. With more than 40 years experience, Russound continues to cater to installation professionals and their customers by pairing powerful systems using the latest technologies with intuitive controls to give customers high-performance,
easy-to-use solutions. For more information, visit the company’s Web site at www.russound.com.

*According to June 2005, 2006 and 2007 studies by EH Research

Fine Cusine!

2008-04-13T10:07:00.000-04:00

I am blessed in many ways, but one of the ways that is demonstrably in my face (literally) is in the area of good eating. My wife was born and raised in the South of France, the Lyon area, which most people will agree is known as the home of the worlds finest cusine. My inlaws are all great cooks, they think about it all the time, they dream about recipes, they talk about it at least once in every conversation, it's a hobby as well as a life pursuit. Unlike most of us who enjoy a good dish, but hate going through the preparation, my wife can turn leftovers into something better than I can get at a multi star restaurant. (which is one of the reasons I prefer to "eat in")

As an example, I offer up last nights menu to which I was the lucky recipient:
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Libation: Vodka tonic
Apperitif: Brie, apple, and walnut croustades

Main Course:
Pan seared shrimp and scallops with lime beurre blanc and cilantro gremolata served with steamed new potatoes.
Libation: South African Chardonnay

Cheese platter with rosemary crackers
Libation: California Merlot

Desert:
Chocolate Truffle Mouse with vanilla scented creme anglaise
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Do you see what I'm talking about here? And she wonders why it never occurs to me to go out to dinner? All this while the kids are asleep upstairs.... no babysitter required.

This is the definition of "blessed"
I love you Veronique!

On the subject of unemployment

2008-04-11T13:31:00.000-04:00

Hearing of layoffs in one sector or another is an almost daily occurrence these days and as such, I am reminded of my recent foray into that world. I had not been unemployed since the company I was working for in the UK went bankrupt (New England Digital – makers of the Synclavier) back in 1992! That’s a great story for another time too. Losing a job is tough indeed, whenever it happens, but finding that new job was a real exercise in writing letters and calling on the phone back in 1992, especially when you consider that I landed my next job in South Africa!?!
Needless to say, the internet 15 years ago was not what it is today in terms of “networking” in social and business terms. That’s precisely what has been so amazing with this recent turn of events. Job websites are filled with promise to be sure, but as everyone will tell you, it’s your own personal network that can get you a job 9 times out of 10. It’s all about building that personal network, or in my case, waking up a personal network that I had largely let sit dormant for many years. Waking up your own personal network is as simple as reaching out to folks and telling them your news and mining for information. I was given some great advice by an employment counselor that you should NEVER ask your “network” if they know of any jobs going at their workplace, as that turns people off straight away. The better approach is to tell them the kinds of things you are interested in, and what you think you might like to do next. Let your network make suggestions and hopefully volunteer information on the subject. He said networking is all about getting information, and if you get a name of someone who might know someone that is exactly the kind of thing you want. Leads! Fresh and new!

For myself, I cast a huge net and largely away from the Pro Audio and Video space I had been working in for the past 20 years or so, because I wanted to try some other things. Being unemployed, you get to think about what you REALLY would like to do if you had the choice, and other than being financially independent, I discovered that I was really into alternative energy and specifically, I was drawn to solar power. So, I went nuts and read everything I could find on the subject. I wanted to be a part of this next wave of clean energy! So, I started researching companies online as you would. I realized straight away that I had no network in this new field and felt myself at a distinct disadvantage. This is where the internet and these new “social” based network sites really come into their own. I used “LinkedIn” to search for solar power and started uncovering “solar” people that were in my area and thanks to that “six degrees of separation” concept I was quickly getting introductions to key players in the business. Wow..
So, in the end, I “almost” got a job at a major solar power company as Director of Marketing. A field I had no prior experience in, but a whole lot of passion about. I worked hard, and survived multiple rounds of interviews from hundreds of candidates down to the final two… me and one other guy… it was like American Idol or something… it really felt like a reality TV show. Anyway, the other guy had a much better “marketing” based resume than me, so I lost out on that job, but it taught me that I could do just about anything I wanted now that I had learned how to really use these new tools for building my network and mining for information. For example, the company I finally ended up at, Russound, I had never even heard of before and thanks the “net” I’ve found a perfect fit for me!

I have to say here that some people I really thought were my friends where surprisingly absent for me during this difficult time, and likewise, people I’d not considered myself that close to went above and beyond the call of duty in their efforts to assist me. Another real lesson that being unemployment teaches you, is that you really find out who your friends are!
So, unemployment for me was an incredibly humbling wake up call for someone who largely had:
• become burnt out and didn’t recognize it
• taken the whole work thang for granted
• no idea how valuable my personal network actually is
• no sense of how powerful the web and social/business networks could be
• had no idea who his friends really were

So, yes, being out of work is a scary thing that I don’t wish on anybody. One thing’s for certain in this life, and that is change, so preparing for it is never time wasted.

It's official! I suck at Blogging

2008-03-06T12:46:00.001-05:00

OK, so there I was, setting up a blog space with high hopes of joining the fray, and I've managed to totally drop the ball. It's not like I expected to do the daily thing, no, I didn't for a moment fool myself, but I really did think I could manage something weekly, even monthly for Christ's sake... but, no I haven't written a thing since August 26th, 2007... shameful. Especially considering that I should have had some fabulous subject matter.. being unemployed (I am going to write more about that) for 6 months, you would have thought I could have found the time...

OK, so all I can say is sorry (to myself, as I'm the only one reading this).. does that make it a diary? More like Diarrhea (yes I had to look up the spelling and I'm actually proud of the fact that I don't know how to spell it for sure)

Anyway, for anyone out there reading. I finally got a job, in what was a very "educational" unemployment experience.(see next blog)

The "beauty" industry

2007-08-26T15:47:00.000-04:00

OK, I know this has been out for a while... but...
This should be seen by every kid in junior high school and discussed as part of class. Dove the company rocks for making this piece.

Why American Airlines Sucks

2007-08-16T14:47:00.000-04:00

We took a trip this summer to visit my wife's parents who live in the south of France. We've done this before, but in addtion to taking our twin boys (21 months old), which can be a real experience, we also took my parents. So, we had a real entourage! The visit itself was absolutely wonderful, as there is nothing better than staying with family you love dearly when visiting overseas. The journey itself was hell and it starts with simply trying to book the tickets! So, for this installment of why American Airlines sucks (and sucks BAD), I'm going to post a letter that we wrote to them in advance of our trip. You'll note that this letter was dated July 1st. We've yet to receive a response from AA, which, as you can imagine is totally unacceptable. We both faxed and FedEx'd (with signature required) to customer relations, so we know they have it!!

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July 1st, 2007

Douglas Hansel and Family
Our address goes here

American Airlines Customer Relations
4255 Amon Carter Blvd.
MD 2400
Fort Worth, TX 76155-2603

To the attention of: Isabella D. Goren and Ralph L. Richardi

AA Advantage number: xx
Record locator: FBBFAX

To American Airlines,

We are writing to inform you of a very negative experience we’ve just had when trying to spend over $6,000.00 purchasing tickets to LHR with American Airlines for a family vacation. What should have been an easy and straight forward transaction ended up being extremely frustrating, time consuming and eventually cost us money. The quality of service we have received throughout this ordeal has been poor to say the least. We are now hoping that our traveling experience will make up for the problems we have encountered thus far, or needless to say, we will never travel with American Airlines again. We are due to fly on July 6th and return on July 20th.

Here is our story:
On 4/29/07 we booked 6 tickets online to fly to LHR using a Visa card. The transaction went through and we got a receipt. Record locator: FBBFAX

Imagine our shock when three weeks later, on May 22nd or 23rd (thereabout…date not exact), we get a phone call from American Airlines to say that they could not actually process the transaction as the Visa card was issued by a non-US bank. We were then told that the only way we could confirm our tickets was to go to Boston Airport in person with the card and photo ID. We complained of course as Boston Logan is a 2 hour drive away on a good day. Fearing we would lose our reservation, we decided we would have to make the trip.

On June 14 2007, we drove to Boston airport from NH specifically to complete the transaction in person. After waiting for about 45 minutes in line to speak to a particularly terse and unhelpful customer service rep (only ONE ticket counter open in the whole airport!), we were told that they could only process 3 of the 6 tickets and we had to provide another credit card to complete the transaction for the next 3, or our reservation would be cancelled. This was totally unacceptable since all of our travel funds were in the bank where the debit VISA card is linked. But, again, to insure our reservation we were forced to use a different card.

It gets worse:
We were then charged $15.00 for each ticket (a total of $90.00) for completing the transaction at the airport when in fact these tickets were originally purchased online. When asked to speak with a customer service representative, we were told no one was available and that we would need to bring this up with American Airlines’ customer service directly. When we asked to speak to someone on the phone to resolve the issue there and then, we were told that this was not possible and that we would have to place our request in writing. Having already wasted several hours of valuable time and in consideration for other customers who were waiting in line to purchase tickets, we decided to give up and make the drive home.

In summary:

We spent 5 hours driving back and forth from NH to Boston and waiting for the transaction to finally be complete, when originally it took us under 10 minutes to complete online…or so we thought.

Our extra expenses incurred thus far:

Gas mileage : $40.00
Airport parking: $15.00
Toll: $3.00
Airport ticket charge: $90

Total out of pocket: $148

½ day off work to sort out this absolute mess: $90/hour X 5 hours time = $450 billable time
All of this because AA caused a perfectly normal online VISA transaction to go very bad.

So, yes, you can imagine we are very upset by this.
Not only do we expect AA to refund our out of pocket expenses of $148, but we expect to be well compensated (before we fly on July 6th) as this kind of experience is not likely to be forgotten otherwise.

Very Sincerely,

Doug Hansel and Family

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So, if you read all that, you'll see clear evidence of why AA suck and why we won't be flying with them again.
British Air is better, Virgin is better, Southwest is WAY BETTER (pity they don't fly to Europe .. it would be south west on the way home.. kinda)
BTW, we're not the only people that think AA sucks... check out this site:
http://www.ihateamericanairlines.com/

I'm going to try and post our story there too.

Doug

Watch this Movie - Hotel Rwanda

2007-08-11T23:21:00.001-04:00

Ok, So I just finished watching Hotel Rwanda. You owe it to yourself to see this film. It's not going to make you feel nice, but then, important films typically do not.

I had NO idea that this was going on. The coverage of the Rwandan genocide was non-existent. I was living in London at the time. Sure I was caught up in my own self absorbed selfish world, but STILL, there was nothing talking about this. Which really makes me wonder about the media "lots of things make me wonder about the media you'll see" What the hell where they doing? What was more interesting than 1 million people being murdered? I'll have to go and research the "truly hot news" of the time. How the hell did the Clinton administration dance around any responsibility on this? "Genocidal acts vs. Genocide"? Lawyers, gotta love 'em.

So, this brings us around to "modern" times. Sudan - Darfur. It's happening again! Oh boy, can't wait till this film comes out so we can see how bad it was... (TOO LATE)

It's things like this that just really make me wonder about humanity. First off, how folks can kill each other for such lame ass reasons, but second, how other folks that claim to be "responsible" and "world leaders" can stand back and let it happen.

We Suck!
But CHINA REALLY SUCKS... (I'll be writing more about those bastards later)

http://www.savedarfur.org/content?splash=yes